Measuring cups for foodstuffs are well known to the art. Conventionally, such are available in one cup and two cup sizes, sometimes larger. A typical, conventional measuring cup will be of translucent or preferably transparent material (at least in one vertical side portion of the wall), there being provided measuring indicia as to quantity on one or two portions of the side wall. In the latter case, the indicia are typically 180.degree. opposed to one another on a cylindrical side wall. One or more grasping handles may be provided and one or more pouring spouts, as well.
Cooks and housewives are well aware of certain problems with respect to measuring particular types of foodstuffs which are not self leveling. Additionally, the measurements or quantities required by a recipe may call for the material or substance required "compacted". Typical materials which are not self leveling and which represent a measuring and/or compacting problem to a housewife or cook include (without limitation) ice cream, jelly, mayonnaise, pumpkin, coconut, cottage cheese, avocado, crushed and drained fruits and vegetables, shortening, brown sugar, butter, softened oleos and the like.
Recognizing the problem of compacting and leveling, certain measuring containers, including measuring cups and the like, have included compacting tops or plungers associated to a greater or lesser degree with the measuring container. These plungers, caps or tops, although sometimes excessively complex or expensive, will adequately perform the job of leveling, compacting, crushing or the like, thus to provide a proper and adequate compacting action and/or an accurate measure, with or without compacting. However, these conventional additive devices to measuring containers or cups create an additional new problem, specifically, removing the measured and/or crushed or compacted foodstuff or foodstuffs from the measuring containers. Particularly this may be the case when the compacting cap or plunger is a part of the container. That is, gummy or adherent substances, after leveling, compacting or crushing, are particularly difficult to fully clear or remove from the container sides and bottom wall.
It is the solution of the problem of adequate measuring and/or compacting, together with the solution of the problem of handling and removing of the type of foodstuffs in question which is the subject of this invention.